Reflections on the Holidays, Family and Friends

Christmas is a week past and New Years is two days in the future.

This year Christmas was a mix of emotions.  As with every phase of life it is an evolving process.  The good and fulfilling are those present to share the experience.  Then there are those missing.  Some temporarily due to location, circumstance, or some other understandable reasons.   Some who passed.  Some whose withdrawal from the circle of family or friends is just too bad. 

For me, this year was very pleasing even if my ideal Christmas is totally unrealistic or unattainable.

In my ideal world I would be surrounded by every family member and friend I've ever met from every phase of my life...whether I can still remember their names or not.  Each brings memories, smiles and feelings of fulfillment. 

There would be friends from my childhood who lived next door or around the corner.  Friends from grade school.  Friends from high school.  Friends from college and graduate school.  Friends from the Army.  Friends from San Antonio, Fort Worth, Massachusetts, New York, Hyattsville, Northwest DC, Damascus, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Washington State, Canada, France, China, Australia, etc. Friends from the newspapers (the Prince George's, Montgomery, and Fairfax Sentinels, The Washington Star, Washington NewsWorks) with whom I worked.  Friends from the NRA.  from various consulting and teaching jobs... Friends met at CITES meetings and a variety of international and domestic gatherings.  Friends from the Washington Theater Lab.  Friends from the teams I helped coach and the places I've lived.  Friends met via other friends.  Friends from the St. John's swim team.  Friends who are doctors and nurses and lawyers and electricians and plumbers and realtors and every kind of kind human who helped me, my family and friends. 

There would be my grandparents, my parents, and my son, Johnny, all of whom passed.  There would be my sister, brother-in-law, their children and grandchildren.  My nephews and others from relatives who no longer claim affiliation or affection.  My parents' relatives from Philly and Jersey and Virginia and Maryland.  Mandi and Michael and their relatives and friends in England.  My cousins near and far.  My friend and business partner of nearly two decades, David Wills.

And, of course, my immediate family with whom I did celebrate: Tommy, Mary, Megan, Maggie, Joel, Matt.  We all pitched in and cooked the Christmas meal.  Every dish was tasty.  Every minute enjoyed and appreciated...even those where I mimicked my father and took a snooze after a fill of food and a glass or two of very nice wine.

I guess the reason I'm writing this now as the year is winding to and end is to simply say to all of you...Thank You.  Thank you ever so much for all you've given to make my life so full, so rich, so
fun.  Thank you a thousand times over.